Pros:Exciting case design, front and back; preset backlight settings; display setup utility on CD.Cons:Flawed image quality; no quick access to features from front panel; printed documentation is limited.Bottom line:The SDM-HS73P shows off Sony's flair for making stylish products, but it does not deliver the top-notch image quality that most buyers expect from the brand. The limited viewing angle and other flaws are not fatal, but better choices are available at a similar price or lower.

ReviewFor years, Sony Trinitron CRTs were the gold standard of computer displays. Now that LCDs are taking over, the leadership is up for grabs. Though Sony's newest LCD model, the 17-inch SDM-HS73P monitor, has some innovative features, it fails to... click here for

Sony SDM-HS73P

For years, Sony Trinitron CRTs were the gold standard of computer displays. Now that LCDs are taking over, the leadership is up for grabs. Though Sony's newest LCD model, the 17-inch SDM-HS73P monitor, has some innovative features, it fails to deliver the top image quality we've come to expect from the company.

The first thing you notice about the $609.99 SDM-HS73P is its stylish case. The LCD panel appears to float above a swooping metallic stand, and a plastic layer covers the broad black bezel, providing extra protection for the panel. A curved plastic panel hides the cable connections, yet can be removed for access. The front-panel controls work well, but you don't get quick access to most settings, and there's no dedicated autosync button.

Not all features are external in this display with 1280-by-1024 native resolution. ErgoBright technology provides preset high, medium, and low light settings in addition to standard user-adjustable settings. But if you choose a lighting preset, the brightness and contrast options are grayed out on the menu. The monitor also lacks some nice-to-have features, like digital connections and USB ports.

Performance was generally good. Grayscale response from white to black and color tracking were fine, and only slight banding appeared in the color ramps. But we noticed some faint pixel jitter after using the autosync feature, and couldn't eliminate this even after tweaking the timing settings. Viewing angles were also limited; we saw hue changes after going about 50 degrees off center, which affected the uniformity of all-black screens. Brightness uniformity was generally good, enhanced by the Xbrite technology Sony uses in its VAIO notebooks. There were no apparent pixel defects, but the documentation didn't state a defect policy.

The SDM-HS73P's design sets it apart from its more utilitarian competition. And though its image shortcomings aren't significant, some of those more mundane competitors deliver a superior image at the same price or better.

Sony SDM-HS73P

Sony SDM-HS73P

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